Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush visits Israel and the occupied West Bank this week to try to shore up fragile peace talks launched at a conference in Annapolis, Maryland, six weeks ago.

Here is a timeline of events in Middle East peacemaking:

March 26, 1979 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign peace treaty to end 30 years of war.

Dec 1987 - First Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, starts.

Sept 13, 1993 - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin trade historic handshake at Bill Clinton's White House, sealing Oslo Accords outline for limited Palestinian self-rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

July 1, 1994 - Arafat returns to Gaza Strip after 27 years in exile.

Oct 26, 1994 - Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan sign peace treaty ending 46 years of war.

Nov 4, 1995 - Rabin assassinated by ultra-nationalist Jew.

July 25, 2000 - Camp David peace summit, brokered by Clinton, breaks down after two weeks of talks between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Sept 28, 2000 - Second Palestinian Intifada erupts after Israeli opposition leader, Ariel Sharon, visits Jerusalem's Temple Mount, revered by Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif.

Jan 21, 2001 - Barak launches talks at Egyptian Red Sea resort of Taba in last-ditch effort to reach peace with Palestinians before February Israeli election. Talks end without deal and Labour's Barak loses election to right-winger Sharon.

April 30, 2003 - "Road map" for peace drafted by the Middle East Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.

Nov 11, 2004 - Arafat dies in Paris. Mahmoud Abbas takes over as head of Palestine Liberation Organisation and becomes Palestinian president after landslide election.

Feb 8, 2005 - Sharon and Abbas declare ceasefire at summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Sept 12, 2005 - Israel pulls troops and settlers out of Gaza Strip after 38 years of occupation.

Jan 4, 2006 - Sharon suffers stroke and Ehud Olmert succeeds the comatose leader, later winning elections.

Jan 25, 2006 - Islamist Hamas wins parliamentary election, prompting Western sanctions and factional fighting with Abbas's Fatah, even after March 2007 formation of unity government.

June 14, 2007 - Hamas beats Fatah in Gaza fighting. Abbas dismisses Hamas premier and names Fatah-backed administration.

July 16, 2007 - U.S. President George W. Bush calls for Middle East peace conference bringing together Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states.

Nov 27, 2007 - Abbas and Olmert agree at conference in Annapolis, Maryland, to immediately restart peace talks with a goal of reaching a deal on Palestinian statehood by end 2008.

Dec 4, 2007 - Israel unveils plans to build new homes on occupied land in East Jerusalem, drawing fire from Palestinians and rare rebuke from United States.

Dec 12, 2007 - Israelis and Palestinians open talks in discord over settlement building and security. (Editing by Diana Abdallah)

AlertNet news is provided by